Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-08-03
ANARCHISTS AWFUL WORK.
Insurance Ken Astounded atthe Heavy
Losses Caused by Recent
Confagrationa
A Feeling tha. the Teachings of Most
Have Prompted the Malignant
Incendiaries.
New York special.l


The Tribune says AT the office OF a
firm OF well-known insurance brokers, yes
terday, it was said that the past six months
had been the most disastrous in the fire
record of any like period, save, of course,
in that embracing the Chicago and Boston
fires. So far as had been learned, only
two companies had made any money in
that six months. The matter has been dis
cussed in every Office and every association
of underwriters.
There is one striking phase of this mat
t r which has come to the fore prominent
ly IN few days, and that is the relation Of
Herr Most and his sympathizers to many
OF those fires. AS indicative of the extent
to which Insurance companies are being
aroused to this question, it is only neces-
sa to call attention TO special meeting
OF tie New York Board of Underwriters
held Yesterday, to discuss this veIy subject
and adopt ways and means to meet the
eme' gency. Heir Mosts book bearing
on the subject of dynamite and phos-
phorus as incerdiary agents was considered
at length, especially his claim that many
recent fires were due to their use. Copies
OF newspapers, the book itself, and all
available information upon the point were
week tefore handed over TO the Commit
tee on Police and tie Origin of Fires, with
instructions TO make thorough investiga-
ton of the matter, and report upon some
plan Which would check, if possible, the
great Increase in tue number of fires which
were undoubtedly incendiary. On this
point member of the board said yester-
day:
so n Most has become factor in the
sub ect of ire insurance. Our civilization
has come to pretty PASS when such a red
monthcd, ranting anarchists utterances
, have to be considered by fire insurance
companies, and means devised to abate
their bapeFul effects. / here is some means
OF reaching this man. and what the law
can do will soon be tried. He openly
boasts in his book that recent fires are,
some of them at least, due to anarchists.
Whether true or not, his utterances have
4 r efte t."
On the sub'ec of averting disastrous
losses in fire insurance, remedies have been
considered 10y fire underwriters from time
20 time. Yesterday all phases of the mat
ter were taken up. One measure proposed
is ii al every PERSON insured shall, in the
case of run in such extraordinary, and
Ia II portion of his own loss. Another sug-
gesiion was that known as the French sys-
tenn, iii VII ca Every insured person must
Iay for injury done TO contiguous prop
ertV when e fire starts on his own prem
ises.
Tbs city and vicinity have been the
great sufferers In the recent unprecedented
losses. SAID Mr.. Kennedy Yesterday: "New
York has been the worst sufferer in the
last SIX mouths, although Chicago, Mil
waukee, aud other cities have done their
best to keep mp an undesirable rivalry.
Just this morning We learn of another Chi
,a,o fire; loss, $500, ,0o0."
Franklin Webster, editor of the Insuy-
| dnce tGroaicte. said of New York's share
i'll these recent losses: "The recent large
fires seem to Lave punched themselves in
and around New York, so that in the past
SIX months the los es here have been
twice whit they were for the whole of the
preceding year, making the ratio four times
as large Tor tie same period. If this rate
should be continued long it would, OF
| course, be disastrous; but that is not to be
expected. and there is no reasonable
| ground for pan 'cky feeling. This year
| tie extreme West has been fortunate; last
| year 1t was the other way. The losses
| seem 10 alternate in alternate years be-
| tween the East and West"
On feature in insurance business which
has been brought 10 light in the recent
! losses is what are termed Jumbo" lines
and the matter is commented on with sur
| prise III insurance circles. By this it ia
meant iha, several companies which had
hitherto incurrpd d u risk of a small percent
! age have been insuring much larger pei
cent, and thus running into the Jumbo
lines. Among those companies are said to
be some well known companies of this city
Eroohlyn, and Chicago.
On the whole situation an insurance agent
sail yesterday: If this thing keeps up We
are going to stop; that's all. 1t is some-
thing like the hot weather-we must have q
let-up or perish.